The W.S. Neal Eagle football team will kick off their 2013 season Friday night on the road when they travel to the Holtville High School Bulldogs.
Third-year W.S. Neal head coach Doug Hoehn said his team will have to correct some things he saw during their 36-28 preseason game win over Elba Thursday night in East Brewton.
“I think the kids played hard,” Hoehn said. “Offensively, I think the offensive line did well. Quenton Samuels ran the ball well and I think that Zack Haveard also ran the ball well. Defensively, we need to improve on our tackling and there was a couple of times where we did not line up correctly. We also broke one coverage, so those are some things we are going to have to work on defensively. Special teams was sloppy, but that is to be expected. We are going to have to try and focus on that this week to improve on that.”
W.S. Neal and Holtville met for the first time last season with the Eagles of East Brewton coming away with a 41-0 win. Holtville went 1-9 last year.
Hoehn said he does not know much about Holtville this season.
“I have not seen Holtville,” Hoehn said. “They played their jamboree the same night we played ours. We had one of our coaches go up there and take a look at them so we are just going to be going by his scouting report. Besides that, we have not seen them. I expect them to be better than they were last year. This is their coach’s second year, so I expect them to be better, but how much improved, I don’t know.”
The Eagles of Eagles will come into their 2013 season opener against Holtville with a 16-9 record in their season opener games the last 25 years.
The last time W.S. Neal lost a season opener was in 2011 when Flomaton defeated the Eagles 47-14.
Since 1988, W.S. Neal has played nine different teams in their season openers: Holtville, Flomaton, Monroe County, Daleville, Eufaula, Hillcrest, New Brocton, Marengo and Evergreen.
Hoehn said getting a win Friday to start the year would be a good way to set the tone for 2013.
“We have a philosophy around here that we only take one game at a time,” Hoehn said. “The game we are on is the only one that matters. So every game to us is very important, but right now we are concentrating only on Holtville.”
Game time is set for 7 p.m. Friday night in Holtville.